Memories of World Legacy
by GagagaGirl
Summary: Despite living in a postapocalyptic world where survival is the only choice to get through everyday life, Auram, a young boy who dreams of becoming the hero of his childhood stories, and his best friends, Ningirsu and Ib, seek to bring about an end to their suffering, venturing forth when a beacon of light is presented to them. However, unaware of what lurks in the shadows…
1. Chapter I

_**Auram**_

When I was young, every night before I slept, my grandfather would tell me stories of the Star Hero and his epic adventures as my father entered my room to scold us because it was past my bedtime. I always recalled each detail precisely, word per word, and pictured the action and heroism inside my head. I grew up idolizing the Star Hero and became awed by his heroic deeds, his compassion for others, and his fight for justice. He was the ultimate hero. I aspired to become like him. A hero of justice, a fierce yet kind warrior, a bringer of hope to all. After my grandfather told me a story, I'd repeat it to my friends, Ningirsu and Ib. Ib shared my enthusiasm, claiming anyone who performed such feats were incredibly brave. I'd grinned and say I was equally as brave and she would throw herself into a fit of laughter. My face became flushed as I furrowed my eyebrows and stuck my tongue out at her, calling her a big meanie. Ningirsu silently observed us as we fought, afterwards, when his sister retreated to his side for comfort, he would turn to me and briefly smile and shrug his shoulders as he patted her head. There was always something for Ib and I to bicker about. Whether it was small or big, pointless or important. Ningirsu never intervened, perhaps because he was amused with our nonsense. We were only children then.

My childhood was the blanket that kept me warm from the coldness that my later years brought me.

Danger lurked during the night, occasionally at daytime. Everyone was on their guard and strived for survival. While we had managed to fend them off, they continued to come back for more, even stronger and harder to defeat than previously.

Krawlers, but we called them Mekkstrositie instead. Insect-like creatures that towered humans and were mechanical by nature. Creations of evil. One day, they had emerged suddenly from the treetops of Celestial Forest, barraging the barrier which protected our village and assaulted us as the massacre began. Men, women, and children had been brutally slaughtered. Their bodies were buried beneath the rubble of chipped wood and crumbled stone. Their innocent blood tainted the earth they had walked upon once.

My father had a sword, which he had stored away in a chest in his closet after he retired from a warrior's life and settled down. He thought he wouldn't wield it again until he drew it out to protect me from the sneak attack of a lurking Mekkstrosity. He had succeeded in defeating the malicious creature, but collapsed in victory and I hurried to him, gently raising his head with my hand as his fading eyes stared at me gratefully. His battle injuries rendered him incapable of speech, yet he was able to gesture me to his sword. His eyeballs then rolled back into his head and his jaw dropped. I carefully set his body down and closed his eyes. My inheritance was his sword. My father was among the casualties now. I rose to my feet and clutched it tightly as I raged to the battlefield.

Those that remained of us assembled and formed a small resistance. Ib, with her optimism, served as the morale captain while also tending to the wounded and ill. Ningirsu fought fiercely in battle as his bravery encouraged others to follow suit in the frontlines.

For every Krawler I destroyed, I removed a part from its body and equipped myself with it. At some point, I had gathered enough pieces to form an armor, including a shield. My appearance mirrored Star Hero's. I had purposely styled it as such for the sake of the villagers, to assure them that the ancient hero would come and vanquish the darkness tormenting us.

Everyday was the same routine. The fighting did not seize from either side. Slowly, one by one, we began to fall and falter.

There was despair.

"What hero? There is none! We're all doomed! Doomed, I tell ya!" Exclaimed someone.

"The legends say the arrival of a powerful warrior when the forest is in danger. There's a forest, but no warrior." Agreed one.

"How can you believe in someone that evidently does not exist?" Claimed another.

I refused to believe any of it.

"How dare you say such cruelties." a girl interrupted. I looked to my side. It was Ib.

"Blood is shed everyday. What positivity can we uphold?"

"Any that you can." She simply stated. "Even a sliver is enough to last yourself another day."

"What if-"

Ib tapped her staff onto the ground, which silenced she raised her staff and waved it at them accusingly.

"I do not wish to further hear any gibberish! Such negative impulses are not needed here." She set a fist on her hip, icy blue eyes rested upon them warily. "Your beliefs are of no concern to me, only your well-being. Hero or not, I will lead you to salvation."

No one spoke. After a minute, the villagers departed from the area, grumbling among themselves as they returned to their posts. Ib then shifted her gaze toward me, smiling apologetically. "Sorry you had to hear that."

"It's fine," I replied casually. "It can't be helped."

"Not you, too!" She panicked.

"That's not what I meant, Ib. We're all suffering here, even you. That's why I understand their situation, but I agree with keeping my attitude positive." I assured her with a smile. She placed her palm on her chest and exhaled her kept breath.

"You could've fooled me, Auram, being positive has been your thing since forever." She paused for a moment, thoughtfully looking at the cloudless slowly darkening sky. "The children admire you, they truly do. When you tell them your grandfather's stories, their precious faces brighten up and warms my heart. Thank you."

"It's nothing, really." I said, placing my gloved hand on my head as I swept my messy blond hair back. The children knew war was happening, but lacked the knowledge to comprehend the situation. They were vulnerable to the violence and were our main priority when a Mekkstrosity appeared, Ib led them through a hidden passageway directed to a refuge built underneath the debris of our village. The truth was that the stories were meant to distract their minds from the chaos with the intent to have them experience a normal childhood while maintaining their innocence, despite everything else.

"Talking about children, I remembered you as a rowdy kid. Early every morning, you'd march in the village and wake everyone up by declaring yourself to be the great Star Hero." Ib happily recalled. I scowled as I felt my cheeks burn and turned away. She giggled innocently.

Ib was a caring and kind person with the tendency to tease me every chance she got. She had long lovely silky hair the color of a polished deep blue sapphire and her eyes reflected a clear sky on a sunny day. In contrast to her older brother Ningirsu's darker hair and dull slate eyes. Her face was round and her smile sweet like honey, and her peach skin felt smooth when she gently stroke my face the day I received battle injuries. She had the grace of a flower in spring breeze. Her wisdom did not come with age, but from experience. I admired her youthfulness and beauty, and above all, her compassionate heart.

I motioned my mouth to speak when the horn was blown, signaling everyone to take their stance. Ib quickly rushed to gather the children and lead them to safety. I pulled my goggles over my eyes and unsheathed my sword as I immediately headed to the edge of the village Along the way, I was met with a familiar face.

"This is becoming a hobby to me." I joked.

"Do not take this lightly, Auram." Ningirsu silently scoffed, readying his lance and shield. "You're becoming more reckless everyday."

"I'm not!" I protested.

"Ib scolded you between tears the other day."

"I know."

"If you did know then you wouldn't have done it. You hurt my poor sister, Auram. Scaring her like that, she thought you'd die for sure." His tone was cold.

I lowered my head when I felt a strange warmth. I caught sight of a smile. "Just know if you hurt her like that again, I will punish you severely."

I gulped and awkwardly nodded. He rubbed my head roughly and I smacked his hand away. He lightly chuckled, swinging his lance over his shoulder. "Are you ready, Auram?"

I smirked confidently as I lifted my sword to my face. "Did you really need to ask, Ningirsu? You know I always am."

As if our words were magical, a Krawler surfaced from the bushes and roared upon spotting us. The battle had commenced.

It had the appearance of a large spider with a black sphere-like body sheltered by golden armor with strange shaped tentacles dangling from the top. It had red orbs, presumably its eyes. Red markings stretched from its body to its long legs as sharp as the finest sword. To specify, our foe was a Krawler Spine.

Krawlers, or Mekkstrosities, were classified into two categories: Krawler and X-Krawler. Krawlers had their own divisions based on their model and abilities. For example, Krawler Spines were agile and used their legs to slash at their prey. However, while easy to defeat, they spawned, which became troublesome. X-Krawlers, on the other hand, were the elite members. Like their minions, were also divided. Fortunately for us, they rarely popped, but when one did, it was a difficult challenge.

Our plan was simple: I fought from the front and Ningirsu from the back. Ningirsu had already snuck behind it and struck his lance into one of the Mekkstrosity's legs, causing it to cry. I took my chance to strike another of its legs with my sword when it swooped one in retaliation.

I was able to block the first attack, but by the second my sword was out of my grip. I dodged to retrieve my sword as the Mekkstrosity slashed at me mercilessly.

While in my peril, Ningirsu had somehow manage to climb the creature's back. He had crawled over its body, stopped and steadied himself. Lifting his lance, Ningirsu pierced it through the Mekkstrosity's hard shell, repeatedly doing it on different spots. As a result, the Mekkstrosity sensed its approaching destruction and became furious.

"Auram, hurry!" Ningirsu shouted, digging his weapon further into the Mekkstrosity's body. Screeching in pain, it rammed itself against a tree and then another in an attempt to shake Ningirsu off it, but he was firmly set. "I want to end this quickly."

"Sure, sure!" I rolled my eyes as I recuperated my sword. I quickly stood up and clanged my sword on my shield to divert its attention from Ningirsu to me, which worked. With its focus on me, I darted toward it, so did it.

I swung my sword above my head down to stab its front leg, placing it horizontally as I pressed my sword in until it reached the other side, slicing its leg off. I pulled my sword out as the Mekkstrosity lost its balance and failed to recuperate it, tipping over as dust ascended into the moist air. Ningirsu then dug his spear on its eye this time, shattering the thick surface and impairing its core. It was finished.

However, I felt something tug at my own leg. I glanced curiously and I winced as I tightly gritted my teeth. I fell on my knees as something gushed smoothly on my skin. Once the dust had cleared, Ningirsu was revealed with an alarmed look.

Apparently, before its defeat, the Mekkstrosity left its mark on me.

"A leg for a leg, huh?" I grinned indignantly as I removed my goggles..

"Quiet, boy." Ningirsu frowned as he carefully lugged the disabled claw of the Mekkstrosity's leg out, diminishing the pain. Afterwards, he grabbed his cloak and forcefully tore a piece as he wrapped it around my injury, compressing it against my skin to stop the flow of my blood. He then helped me get up and placed my arm on his shoulder as he placed his on mine and dragged me back to our village.

"A-Auram! Y-you, ugh! What am I going to do with you?!" Ib said between snobs and snot, clutching her staff as her body shuddered.

"I said I'm sorry!" I threw my hands defensively. I slowly backed, but realized Ningirsu was present and caved in instead.

Whack!

Without warning, Ib's staff knocked me over. I groaned as I rubbed my forehead. "Ow! Was that ne-"

My sentence was cut off by Ib's next action. She suddenly pulled me into an embrace. She sniffed, blowing her nose on my scarf as I slightly tilted my head to the left to avoid flying snot. She began crying again. I lifted my hand to gently pat her back.

"There, there." I said, in an attempt to comfort her. Despite my efforts, she continued to bawl as Ningirsu stared at us. I signaled him for help, but he shot me a glare which said 'let her be'.

"I worry about you all the time!" She said finally, gripping my scarf harder than before. Her watering eyes glittered in the moonlight.

I blinked.

"I can tell." I answered impulsively.

It was my mistake to have said such casual words because Ib then let go of me, pushing me to the floor as she got on her feet and headed toward the exit.

Before doing so, she stopped, turned, and shook her head at me as she left.

Ningirsu followed shortly after. And I heard the faintest of laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Ningirsu_**

My parents had died during a terrible storm one late night when Ib and I were young. I did not know of any relatives, so we had no one to take care of us. As a result, I lived with my sister in a rundown shack, covering termite holes with dry leaves to prevent bugs from entering and patching the roof with rotting wood to block leaks. Occasionally, a sympathetic villager or two would come by and drop a basket of fresh fruit and gently worn old clothes. Each day, Ib and I would go out into the forest for food, I hunted for small animals such as rabbits while she collected berries and seeds. When nighttime arrived, we returned to our poor home to sleep and repeat the cycle the very next morning. However, Ib eventually became gravely ill and I worried for her health, doing everything I thought would cure her. Despite my efforts, she worsened. Suddenly, on a rainy evening, someone knocked three times on the door and before I could answer, the door creaked. At the doorstep, stood a strange elderly man who looked at me curiously, pushing the wrinkles on his face was a tender smile. He made his way to my sister and knelt down beside her as he pulled something from his pouch- an elixir of some kind. He cupped her chin and gently lowered her jaw as he poured the mysterious substance from the elixir into her mouth and she swallowed without hesitation. I was about to protest when he stopped me with his hand and motioned me to look at my sister. To my surprise, Ib's radiance had returned. Grateful for what he had done for us, I asked how I could repay him and he said he would come early tomorrow to tell me, and he did.

We then found ourselves under the wing of the old man with his son and his. Auram was about the same age as Ib. He had energetic bright blue eyes, unkempt spiky blonde hair and possessed a mischievous grin. He did not know who we were nor did we know him, but that did not stop him from approaching us with scandalous stories of the great Star Hero and his miracles. Ib became greatly fascinated by the legend of the hero from which a friendship blossomed between the two.

From that day on, Ib and Aurum were inseparable. Together, they caught frogs from the pond, jumped into mud puddles, and played hide-n-seek in the dark. During one of their misadventures, Ib and Auram brought a furry white creature to the village as she carried it in her arms and he followed. When I approached them, I saw a broken wing carefully bandaged with Ib's pink ribbon as they explained how they had found the creature while exploring the forest. I argued that the forest was no place for them to go alone without the supervision of an adult, and they replied with if they hadn't gone, the creature would have died or be eaten by a lurking predator. I was about to object when they chose to ignore me and rush to Auram's grandfather for help. I sighed and forced myself to tag along.

For the next few days, the creature, which happened to be a baby dragon, was nursed back to health by Ib and Auram. My sister originally gave it a female name until I assured her it was a male to which she responded by changing it to Imduk, despite the fact I warned her that she would have to return him to his natural habitat upon his recovery. Imduk, unlike the description of dragons told in the tales, was clumsy and fairly small for his young age. Even so, Ib claimed that he could potentially be one of the Guardragons that overlooked the village like in the legends. Except, I thought the "guardragon" part was quite a literal nickname since Imduk acted very much like a dog, yiping when Ib was present and whimpering when she left. She played ball with him and even enjoyed to gnaw on bones. Once Imduk fully recovered, Ib refused to take him, but was complied to, anyway. The following morning, however, I was awoken by the sound of scratching on wood and dragged myself out of bed as I trudged toward the door and opened it. I spotted no one and shut it, but before I turned, the noise started again. I grumbled, looking to my sides and nothing was still on sight until my eyes drifted to the floor and I saw him. I summoned my sister immediately and scolded her for leaving a trail to our house for him, forcing her to scout him back. This repeated every morning for a while until eventually I grew weary of the routine and finally told her she could keep him as long as she understood it was her responsibility to take care of him, however, she said she already had Auram's grandfather's consent and I was baffled.

For awhile, our life in the village was serene. Unfortunately, such luxurious must end tragically.

We hid within the rubble of a house. Screaming filled the atmosphere. I peeped through a small hole in the wall and saw countless lifeless bodies scattered on the once vibrant green grass, now drenched in deep crimson color. Hell ascended upon our vulnerable village in the form of a large shadow from the treetops, clouding the sky that light could not pass through as the shadow then drifted toward the frantic villagers that scurried in different directions. Some were swooped airborne, others ducked behind fallen buildings or fought back in retaliation. The less fortunate ones were overwhelmed with fear that they either implored to be killed or took their own breath to escape the suffocating chaos. The same shadow traveled on land, too, slashing trees with its long sharp claws and bashing nearby houses in search of potential victims. Krawlers, I remembered Auram mentioned them as he detailed their robotic villainous appearances in his grandfather's stories. A sharp shriek tore the air and I quickly turned.

Ib trembled fiercely, huddled in a corner with wide frightened eyes. The stack of wood which covered us was hurled into the air as a dark shape emerged from the dust and slowly leaned, staring at us with its big red eyes. It twisted its monstrous head curiously, examining us from top to bottom. Then it began to click hungrily. I slowly crept back to Ib as my sight met its. As I had anticipated, the Krawler leapt forward to attack us, but I swiftly scooped my sister into my arms and flung ourselves out of the way, rolling down a slope as I quickly stood up with Ib and rushed into the forest.

I paced myself as the Krawler began to pursue us. I halted when our path was blocked by fallen trees. Although the Krawler was out of sight, it would soon appear to slay us. Instinctively, I searched for a hiding place and found a ditch fit for one and hurried toward it as I carefully laid my sister in it. She clutched my shirt, tugging it and refusing to let go as she pleaded me to stay, but I grabbed her hand and gripped it, guaranteeing her safety with a smile as I started to place tree branches over her head as her voice slowly became muffled. After that, I found a long stick and equipped it to myself. I soften my breath and took my stance.

The wind blew soundlessly around me as I became wary of my surroundings. I remained on guard, occasionally shifting sides to detect any unusual movements. Suddenly, a swift breeze went past me and I quietly gulped as I tightened my grip on the stick.

A large shadow leapt above me and I moved to the side to attack. However, the Krawler was much faster than I and pinned me to the ground and hissed at my face. I struggled to loosen from its grip, but I managed to slip an arm and grab a nearby rock, which I threw at its face. In outrage, it pierced its claw into my arm and I screamed in tremendous agony. The scream Ib had heard and begun to cry for me, which the Krawler found to be pleasant. Letting go of me, it crept to where I had hid my sister by following her cries. I feared for the worst, so slowly, I began to lift myself up, despite the deep and fresh wound in my arm, forcing every muscle in my quacking body to move as the pain became more present, stinging my arm. With much effort and tolerance, I finally stood up firmly as best as I could. I had picked another rock which I threw once more at the Krawler with my remaining strength to drive its attention towards me again before collapsing to the ground near a small red pool from my injury.

As I can recall, before my gaze drifted into utter darkness, is the Krawler darting toward me in annoyance, however, it halted at the sight of a strange distinctively masculine figure wielding a sword with a bloody hand standing between it and I. After a momentary silence, the figure held the sword with both hands above his head and flung himself at the Krawler.

Three days later, upon my awakened and recovered state, Ib told me Auram had saved me that day and since then, I have joined him in the battlefield. Auram and I were both inexperienced fighters, yet I knew of hunting and using my intellect on that, I strategized our attacks while he charged bravely forth and commanded like a leader. Also, like Auram, I acquired pieces from Krawlers we defeated and forged a spear from them, the tip was smooth but the edge of the blade was sharp that it could easily pierce through their sturdy shells when I first used it battle. Together, we reduced our weaknesses and strengthen our forces for the sake of survival.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Auram**_

On a foggy morning, or maybe it was still nighttime. Well, it was quite hard to tell for thick white sheets covered our sight that even our torches were unable to penetrate the fog and appeared as tiny flickering lights instead. It was weather like this where our watchmen were doubled and strictly on guard.

Today, however, was my shift. I took over once Ningirsu had left his post. It was awfully quiet for no bird chirped or cricket hummed, as such it was difficult to concentrate on the assigned task when the lack of sound was irritating, at least in my case. For a long while, I stood there by the edge of Celestial Forest, being on guard until the image of a Mekkstronsity, helpless and lost, trying to find its way to us in this horrible weather came to mind. I chuckled at the thought.

 _Swish._

A sudden short breeze swept past my feet. I slightly shivered.

The leaves of a bush (?) by me began to rustle.

I furrowed my brows warily and narrowed my eyes as I slowly moved toward the bush (definitely a bush).

 _Thud._

My foot was caught by a rock (assuming it was a rock, I felt blind in this weather) which hid stealthily in the fog, waiting patiently for a wandering and clueless character to come and that resulted in me losing my balance and leaning forward as I landed on my face first. Despite the pain on my front, I cursed under my muffled breath for not bringing a torch. As I lifted my face from the ground, I noticed a faint small figure scurry behind me as I realized my vulnerable position and scrambled to get up in order to properly confront the potential threat that could attack me at any moment if I remained careless.

In fact, I was well-prepared if the situation escalated to an assault by whatever was lurking. A single drop of sweat hung from my chin as I wiped it away with my hand. The air was cool, yet my body felt hot with anguish.

 _Snap!_

I heard the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping into two. Alerted, my senses heightened

A weird tingle tickled my neck. My nerves were getting the best of me. I debated whether or not to notify the others of the possible danger looming, then it occurred to me that perhaps I was only exaggerating the situation and it was a harmless creature instead.

My vision suddenly darkened and felt something warm take a hold of my face.

"Ack!" I yelped as I took a step back- and bumped into something.

"Ouch!" The something cried, removing its grasp from my face as my vision returned. That voice, I thought. I recognized it and flinched.

"Auram, can't you be more careful!?" ib said.

"I'm sorry that this-" I paused for a moment and pondered. My lips formed into a smirk as I turned and threw my hands behind my head, slightly bending my leg as my gaze fell upon her annoyed face. "This weather makes it so hard to _see_ you. How was I suppose to know you were there?"

She didn't seem very amused by my smooth talk. Rather, she folded her arms and shook her head.

"That much is true. Not only did you step on my foot, you stepped on poor Imduk, too." She said angrily while maintaining a calm look. When she mentioned Imduk, the same figure I saw earlier motioned forward from the fog, revealing itself as a fluffy small dragon with feathery wings whimpering to his master. Ib bent over to carry him and cradled him in her arms like a baby. "See? He's hurt. Apologize."

"What." I stared at her blankly, trying to process her words mentally.

"I said, apologize to Imduk."

"I heard."

"Well, I'm not hearing any apologizing being done."

"Do I have to?" I protested.

Ib set Imduk upwards, handling him carefully under his tiny front legs. She then began to wave his tiny body around and lowered her voice into a tiny squeak.

"Of course, you must, O' Brave One! Apologizing to me brings you one step closer to becoming the Star Hero!"

After that, she shoved him in my face and Imduk barked innocently. I rolled my eyes, but smiled afterwards.

"Fine! I'm sorry." I said, gently rubbing his head as he moaned in content.

"Good." Ib brought him to the ground before doing the same, tucking her legs in as Imduk went next to her, circling for a moment and finally settling down to rest by closing his eyes and snuggling against her skin as his breath became light. She started to ruffle his fur.

Unlike our surroundings, the silence that followed was the kind of silence which brought discomfort and bad vibes, so I decided to sit by the sleeping Imduk and looked at her curiously. It was hard to analyze her facial expression, yet I concluded that she was greatly troubled by something.

"Ib, you can tell me anything. I'm your friend."

After a long pause, she spoke.

"I know, Auram, and I thank you for that, but I don't know how to explain this to you."

"Try to. Together, we'll decipher the message."

"Do you ever feel like you're being watched?" She asked me softly.

Her sudden shift of tone concerned me.

"Well, your brother is always on my back and then there was you just now."

"No, I mean, do you sense a strange presence observing you wherever you go, but when you turn to look, you see nothing is there?"

I blinked, puzzled by what she meant.

"Not really."

"I thought so."

She sighed. She positioned herself again, placing her chin on her knees as she wrapped her arms around her legs and pressed them against her chest. I remained silent.

"Ever since I was chosen to wield our tribe's holy relic, I've been having these weird feelings of being watched, _Auram_." She repeated. The way she uttered my name, however, pleaded me to understand her situation, which I tried to. "I've been so anxious that it even shows when I project those barriers. . . That is why they've become easily breakable lately."

I remembered the first time Ib channeled a barrier to shield the people from the Krawlers' rampage. Her brother was alongside her, aiding her in protecting the villagers by fighting the Krawlers with whatever was in his hands at the moment in order to prevent them from invading. Although they bought time for the villagers to seek refuge, they eventually became overwhelmed by their running numbers and were forced to retreat themselves.

"Don't say that! You're just stressed about this." I said, comforting her.

She shook her head again.

"I guess you're right, but it's a thought that I can't help but think of." Throughout our conversation, Ib's attention was kept on the ground. I scratched the side of my cheek.

"Man, talking to a girl is hard, but understanding her is _harder_." I aimed to brighten her mood by trying to be goofy. It took a moment, but she managed to crack a faint smile and tried to hide it and I noticed it in spite of the fog. Speaking of which, the fog had begun to lift, devolving into a mist now and so, it made the area slightly more visible and easier to detect detail. Above us, the sun had also appeared, beaming brightly that I had to use my hand to shade my eyes.

"I can see it." I spoke of her smile.

"You cannot."

"I can."

"Lies."

"Truth."

"Lies."

"Truth!"

Imduk's heavy eyes began to wake at the sound of voices as he sat up, rubbing his eyes with his paws and then stretching as a yawn escaped his mouth. He scooted closer to Ib for warmth. She stroked his back. "Aw, you woke Imduk."

I merely shrugged.

"Ib." I started. She perked her head. "I want to let you know that, even though you're suffering, you're not suffering alone and that, as your best friend, you can open up to me and tell me anything. No matter how small or big the problem may be- Are you listening to me?"

I came to meet her gaze, but a blank expression took over, as if in a hypnotic state, and her breathing seemingly stopped.

"Ib?" I called out.

No response.

I raised my hand and slowly, I reached to grasp her shoulder.

Upon my touch, the flow of time had resumed on her and she breathe again and blinked.

"Ib, are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

"D-Did you see that?" Those were the first words that came out of her mouth.

"See what?" I asked again, however, this time confused.

"A floating blue light." She explained, lifting her index finger and pointing it in the direction she claimed to see the phenomenon. I turned, but saw nothing.

"Are you sure you weren't imagining it?"

"It's fine. I didn't expect you to see it." She said woefully, dropping her hand to her side. Imduk sensed her immediate sadness and huddle his body under her grasp. I grit my teeth and palmed the back of my head as my eyes shifted elsewhere, ashamed of my wording.

"Ib, that's not what I meant." I said, trying to make up for my previous mistake.

"I know." She simply said. "I can't blame you for not believing."

At that point, I knew it was futile to reason with her. Even so, I wasn't sure if to continue the conversation or cease it at once.

". . . Thank you." She whispered, almost.

"Huh?" I cocked a brow. "Thank me for what?"

She turned to me and gave me one hard glance which could pierce through me if it wanted to. For a moment, I could've sworn I was looking at Ningirsu and not at her. I gulped and scooted back, waving my hands defensively.

She blinked at my reaction, but giggled afterwards.

"But seriously, Auram." She continued. "Thank you for what you said earlier to me."

Everything was becoming clear to me now.

"I was waiting for someone to say that. Not to solve my problems, but to listen to me talk about them. You have no idea how relieved I am."

"Well, that's what friends are for, no? To listen to each other's problems even if it won't really solve anything." I replied, pleased with myself that I was of use to her in some way. She smiled.

Ib then stood up, dusting the dirt off from her skirt and unwrinkled it, too. She reached over to grab her staff from the ground, which I had forgotten she brought. She was very cautious about it and feared of misplacing it.

"I must go now. Ningirsu is waiting for me. His patience knows no limits." She joked.

I got up, too, slipping my hands into my pockets and prepared my farewell to her. "I'll see you later then. Tell him I say hi."

"Sure. I'll also tell him you were slacking off." She added playfully.

"I was not! You distracted me!" I fought back.

"Of course, I did." And with that, she waved at me and Imduk followed after her. I watched them leave until they were out of sight.

The mist had completely vanished now and the setting was vivid with a vibrant green and sky blue accompanied with white puffs.

I resumed my duty and sat on a large rock located nearby and pondered what I would do once my shift was over. However, my trail of thought was interrupted by a strange noise behind me. I stood and faced the forest.

"Hello?"

I waited for a reply.

"Hello!"

Still nothing.

I took a deep breath in and moved a step forth. I squinted my eyes and leaned closer. A bird popped and squawked as it flew out into my sight and caught by surprised, I fell on my bottom. I groaned as I helped myself up and sighed.

For the rest the day, I thought of what had happened and recalled a strange shadow swiftly slipping between the trees before the bird had scared me. It almost seemed like a blur blur, but it was hard to tell in the dimness of the forest.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Ningirsu_**

"Dear brother." Ib came to me in my tent one night as I prepared to sleep after another day of a long fought battle. "It can't continue on like this!"

"What do you suggest?" I inquired. This was not the first time our conversations had begun like this. In fact, it had become part of our routine and each time, it became more and more increasingly frustrating since the flow of the conversation would turn to Ib, like Auram, to speak of a savior that had yet to prove a sign of his existence.

"Auram's grandfather's stories. They could be true-"

"No." I halted her and shot an icy gaze. She looked at me, discouraged by my harshness and bowed her head. "Must we repeat this every night, Ib? You know I stand against such tales."

"Yes, but-" She began to protest, but I motioned my hand toward her and she stopped.

"We will proceed no further into this discussion. It's pointless to engage me." I explained with a stone face. "Speak of this topic again and I will simply dismiss you."

Normally, Ib would retreat to her tent afterwards. However, she chose to remain and furrowed her eyebrows and stared at the ripped dusty green blanket that I used for a carpet, a fist by her. Her face softened then as her fist undid into a hand, lightly gripping the edge of her skirt. She sighed softly and lifted her head. I saw her blue eyes glitter. "I do not wish to argue with you, brother."

"Nor do I." I agreed with her statement.

"If so, why do you refuse to listen to me?" She threw her arms to her sides, expressing a lack of belief in my words. I examined her for a moment, in search of a cause for her reaction but found nothing, before sighing and turning away. I swept my hair behind my ear.

"Do you remember the ceremony?" I began to say. I looked at her and she nodded. "Do you know why you were selected?"

Just by a simple look, I noticed she struggled to gather the pieces to respond back.

"Must I tell you?"

"No." She finally said.

"'One whose voice relays the Earth's wisdom'," Ib began to recite the ritual's chant. "'Who possesses a virtuous soul and a compassionate heart which is linked to the people. Causes no ill to the innocent and forgives those which have. Forms a balance among the unequal and secures peace in conflict. Seeks-' '"

"'Seeks the truth and preserves it from false idealsl'." I finished the sentence.

"You were a witness to my declaration, brother."

"Yes, indeed I was there to witness you accept your role as the new priestess. However, I've also witness you done all except two." I declared. "And that is preserving the truth and balancing the unequal."

"What? What do you mean, _Ningirsu_?" She had said my name rather than 'brother', it was a sign of displeasure and offence from her. She blinked repeatedly as she tried to deduct my words in to a place where she could comprehend their meaning.

I pointed to the staff next to her. She shifted toward it.

Long before the chaos, when our forest was at peace, we belonged to a tribe called the World Chalice. The staff Ib wield was not inherited by our bloodline, but rather, bestowed upon those linked with the forest guardian. It was a peculiar object which had been in our grasp for generations, its unique design was that of a curved end with jagged blades and the top was arched with a blue sphere centered into place. While it was an instrument to channel spiritual energy, its overall appearance resembled a deadly weapon, in spite of its harmless use.

"Those before you were told the same and did the same, but none were the same as you." I continued my speech, observing her carefully as I did. "They lead the people into unification, disregarding status and belief. Yet you have divided them now, a side that accepts your ideals of an impossible salvation while the other sees the cruel reality of their circumstances."

"What are you trying to tell me, Ningirsu?" Her eyes were full of disbelief, her voice britled. She came closer into range, anxious to know my answer.

"What I'm saying is," I closed my eyes and turned again, crossing my arms. "you need to mature, Ib."

"Mature?" She repeated with disgust, as if the word had left a terrible taste in her mouth after she chewed it and tried to swallow it, but quickly spat it out. "You- No, you demand of me to 'mature' because I believe in 'such tales'? You must believe me a fool if you think I am not aware of my peoples' cries; their struggle to continue to live in this hellish world. I may be unable to unite them, but I will tell you this, Ningirsu; if you believe 'the truth' is to speak of what cannot be done, then I will further speak of my 'truth' to the portion that thinks otherwise!"

I kept quiet. I took a glimpse at her. She had lowered her head and clutched her skirt tightly. She bit her bottom lip as her shoulders quivered. I heard an exasperated gasp.

"Then so be it. Continue to fantasize an unreachable dream, Ib." I responded coldly. "Eventually you will come to your senses and realize a more rational solution."

She dared not respond back, instead, she rose to her feet and wiped her face with her sleeve before lifting her head and shaking it at me in disapproval. Then, she turned.

"So that's how you see it, huh, brother." She said more calmly now. "You were right, there's no point in convincing you, but I want to say one last thing before I leave you for the night."

"Continue." I permitted her to resume.

"Auram's grandfather. . . He did not select me to inherit the staff because he viewed me as his kin. When I first brought Imduk to the village, he immediately recognized him as the new forest guardian and said he had presented himself to me in this form while you simply shrugged him off as only a wild animal. I accepted the position of priestess not just to offer prayer to our deity, but to also provide guidance to those who sought it. In other words, it is proof that it is my responsibility to salvage the people from the Krawlers' clutches. Good night, brother. Hope is all that is left for us." She exited the tent with Imduk, who had been with us the entire time we discussed. I felt compelled to say something in return but when I motioned my mouth, no words appeared.

For the rest of that evening and even after I had gone to bed, I struggled to sleep comfortably for Ib's words weighed heavily upon me. While she had declared herself innocent to my accusations, I had seen her as a suspect of the divided population that remained. She spoke fondly of something I greatly disagreed of, but this matter, I thought, would be quickly resolved with her in the morning.

Rays of sunlight slipped into the holes of my tent and brought warmth to my skin. I scrunched my face and forced open my eyes. I sat up from my bed and stretched my arms as I yawned, rubbing my eyes as I uncovered myself and proceeded to do my morning routine.

An hour later or so, I went to the small stream located at the end of the row of our tents as I crouched, dipped my hands into the cold water, scooped what my hands could grasp of it and splashed and scrubbed my face with my palms. Afterwards, I headed to the cooking spot in our campsite to eat breakfast. It wasn't large of an area, a cauldron was placed in the center over a small fire with a few logs set around it to sit on. People brought in what they were able to catch or hunt while avoiding running into any Mekkstronsities along the way. Sometimes, they weren't so lucky and there would only be little to offer that day. However, whatever was available at the time was equally distributed among us.

I directed myself where Ib was, she would wake up at daybreak to help prepare the morning meal and set the plates and pass them out. Once I arrived, however, I did not see her and when I asked the people there about her whereabouts, I was told she had not come, nor the previous day or before. I bid them farewell and left immediately, my appetite at a loss. For a week, not including last night, my shifts were at nighttime, and during that time Ib and I hardly saw each other except for a short chat. I headed back to the tent area. Her tent was not far from mine, only two tents down our man-made dirt path and across Auram's tent. Along the way, I began to think about our discussion. Perhaps she had meant to say more than I had allowed her.

"Ib?" I called out as I bent over and crept inside her tent. I searched but only saw a neatly folded blanket on a mat by a messy bundle of ragged blankets and Imduk's chew toy, which was in fact a Krawler's'eye that Auram had given him to play with. I felt a tight knot in my stomach as I scooted back outside and stood up. "She's not here."

I turned and went inside Auram's tent this time. A collection of discarded Krawler parts messily occupied half of the small space while his bed was undone. I did not see his sword. He, too, had disappeared. And with her.

I found myself panicking, but buried my face into my scarf to avoid contact from the watching bypassers. I returned to my tent and retrieved my spear, latching it on my back as I mentally stormed possible locations as to where they could be when it finally occurred to me; in Celestial Forest.

When we were younger, Ib and Auram played in the forest as I observed them closely, occasionally joining them in their fun. We had marked a few shortcuts to get to and out of the forest over time. If my memory recalled correctly, using one of the shortcuts, it would not take long before I had appeared at the entrance of the forest. When I did, I took a deep breath in and entered.

The treetops blocked most of the sun, emitting an eerie atmosphere as a chilly wind suddenly brew, sweeping my hair across my eyes. I simply combed it back into place as I continued to move forward. My grip was on the handle of my spear as I grew wary of my surroundings. It was a common symptom among us, to distrust the place which had provided a wall of protection but was now overrun with danger. My attention switched between my left and right.

"Ib!" I shouted, aware I was risking my own safety by potentially attracting a lurking Krawler to me. " _Ib_!"

I caught sight of one, however, but it had been defeated. Approaching it cautiously, I poked it with my spear to make sure it was no longer functional. Once I assured myself it was completely dead, I examined its damaged body carefully and calculated the fatal blow was done on its back. Not only that, it was a recent happening, too. Perhaps a few days old.

The leaves of the trees began to rustle ominously.

" _You are Ib's older brother, Ningirsu.*_

A mysterious voice emerged from the silence and spoke to me. I paused and turned.

"Who are you and how do you know my name? Most importantly, what have you done to Ib?!" Without much of a thought, I demanded the voice to tell. I did not this speaker, only that it somehow knew of my sister's location.

" _She's perfectly fine! Alongside her pet and her boy friend!"_ The voice assured. " _To answer your questions. . . Well, if you wish to know, come and find out!"_

I huffed, skeptical of the voice's conditions. I was torned between to accept them or to refuse, but a small part of me was convinced it spoke the truth. I obliged.

"Fine." I finally said. "Lead the way."

" _Whew!"_ The voice let out a sigh or relief. " _I was told you would be hard to get by, but I guess not!"_

"Hurry and tell me which way to go!" I considered myself to be a patient person, but I had no time to fool around.

" _How rude! Fine! Do you see that clearance ahead?"_

"What clea-" My voice trailed off as I looked forward. The trees had seemingly parted ways in front of me, creating a path for me to follow.

" _Go straight until you see a large twisted tree. From there, you will spot a small opening. Crawl beneath it and travel through it, and at the very end, you will find us! See you there!"_

I waited for a moment for the voice to deliver any other information to me. After a minute or two, I concluded it would not. I loosened my grip on the spear and started to walk down the path that was set for me.

The knot in my stomach remained and became tighter with each step I took. I paced myself to get to the tree quickly. Once there, I searched for the opening the voice described and when I found it, I bent down and crept in, but struggled to push through due to my unqualified body size. As I kept pushing, a light beamed at the end of the compressed tunnel. Such a thing inspired me to forcibly fit inside this cramped space and drag myself until I reached the exit. The same light then became blinding as I stood up and covered my eyes. Suddenly, something weighed on my side and I nearly stumbled.

"Brother!" A familiar voice called out to me. I blinked a few times before I looked to my side and saw Ib hugging me. Beside her, Imduk sat, wagging his tail. "I'm glad you're finally here!"

She spoke gleefully, seemingly undisturbed. Perhaps she had forgotten our discussion from last night. . . ?

"What are you doing here-" I had began but was interrupted by Ib who was tugging my arm.

"I want to show you something!" She said as she started to pull me to go with her

I was utterly confused, yet curious so I silently followed her as she hummed softly with Imduk skipping happily next to her. My vision drifted into the scenery, which I hadn't noticed earlier. It was a meadow filled with flowerbeds neatly arranged by color, resembling a rainbow. Birds chirped as flowers swayed side by side to their lovely tunes as they flew above them. Butterflies gracefully fluttered their wings as they hopped from flower to flower, sucking their nectar. One even landed on Ib's head as she gently shooed it away. Frogs croaked in rhythm to nature's symphony, ending the performance by jumping into the pond from its lilypad as fish scattered about. A spring breeze softly blew to my face and I felt the knot unlace inside me.

"We're here!" Ib sang and I halted, turning to me and gesturing me toward Auram, who smiled halfway and lifted his hand and waved it at me in an awkward motion.

"Ahaha!~ The whole gang's here!" The same voice from before when I was back in the forest announced. Clearer, I identified it as female, squeaky and high-pitched. I searched the area for its owner but saw nothing.

"Look over here, silly." The voice said, and it was audibly close to my left ear, so I directed my attention there. A floating blue light appeared. "Yoo-hoo!~"

I was correct, the voice belonged to a female. She was smaller than Imduk with wings, accompanied by four strange objects which produced some kind of light.

"I know you have some questions to ask, brother." Ib said to me. "So I'll explain."

"Then speak." I replied.

"For the last few days, Auram and I have been meeting in secret here."

"B-But don't worry! It's nothing like that, Ningirsu!" Auram quickly intervened with a reddened face. I had not thought it like that and narrowed my eyes suspiciously at him.

"Anyways," Ib continued, discarding the interruption. "For important discussions."

"Such as?"

"Such as the fate of our future." She said.

"Why wasn't I informed of this?" I asked accusingly. What had bothered me were not her words, but the fact I worried she had disappeared when she was fine and occupying herself with matters I should voice and was not aware of until now.

"I had meant to tell you this before, but each time I tried, you only ignored me!" Ib replied, hugging her staff to shield herself from my anger.

"Whoa, there! Please don't fight when the world is at risk." Auram stepped in as he spread his arms, blocking my view of Ib. His eyes pleading me to seize my attack.

"Tch." I gave him one hard look and shifted my head elsewhere. "We will continue this later."

"Thank you."

A moment's silence passed and the blue winged creature cleared her throat.

"Ahem . . . Now that everyone's calm, I can finally begin." She declared as she circled us, then came to a halt in the middle where we could see her.

"Since you're here now, I will tell you what you wish to know." She was directing herself to me. I crossed my arms, willing to listen to what she had to say.

"Let's begin with your name then." I said.

"My name is Lee." She had set her hand on hip, flipping her hair behind her as her otherworldly eyes beamed confidently, which matched with her smile. "Lee the World Chalice Fairy answering to your prayers!"

 _ **Author's Note: I wish there wasn't a word limit to the summary so I could credit the original source material. AnywAny, thank you to everybody who's been waiting patiently for chapters. To Knighare Lord, I'm quite of aware of the Star Hero's identity and I know the World Legacy lore, and I've appreciate you sending it. Also no incest, please!**_

 _ **On a side note, I fell in love with the lore once it came out and have I thought one day of making a fanfic. Then, bam! I already planned for the next upcoming chapters! Stay tuned! With the power of World Chalice!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Auram**_

" _I posses the answers you seek." Lee said as she fluttered about for a moment before she decided to rest upon Imduk's back. "However, if you wish to receive them, you must retrieve something for me first."_

Our expedition began with us climbing down a rocky ramp. Ningirsu was the first to go, then me, and finally Ib. It was a tricky task since Ib was carrying Imduk, but it was quickly solved by Ib blindly throwing him at us after some convincing. I caught him before she opened her eyes on her frightful face, which became relaxed when she saw him in my arms.

" _The World Legacy-World Chalice."_

"What sort of mystical artifact could it be?" I wondered as we went on our way and clearing the large leaves blocking our path with my sword. From the information Lee had provided us, it was some kind of powerful device that our ancestors had forged long ago. Unfortunately, Lee kept it very brief, stating she would give further details once we found it, much to my peaking interest collapsing the moment she stopped.

" _Now that I've shown you how it looks like, it won't be too difficult to find. Once you do, call upon my name and I shall appear!"_

Lee's words continued to echo in my mind. This was pretty much our first task as soon-to-be-heroes, I thought, and the very thought of it thrilled my body and set me on adventurer mode, thirsting for danger and hungering for action. Unable to contain the excitement, my face expressed a confident look, which Ningirsu greatly disapproved of. He began to scold me for being 'too impulsive', but I ignored him since my focus was on the mission and not his babbling.

"Auram, please do calm yourself a bit." Ib pleaded, seeing how it didn't work out with her brother. "Before you put us all in danger."

"Don't worry! You'll be fine!" I assured her with a thumb up and grinned. After all, I was leading them, with her in the middle and Ningirsu behind to watch in case a Krawler decided to ambush us.

"I hope so." She gave me a mild smile in return. Ningirsu sighed as he pulled his goggles over his face and on his eyes, probably to distance himself from us.

For a while, we walked in silence until Ningirsu and I noticed Ib had suddenly stopped and was staring at her staff. "Huh ?"

"What's wrong?" I asked her curiously.

"The staff, it's. . ." Her eyes were glued to the staff. I raised an eyebrow and looked at her, then at her staff and when I saw it. The bluish green sphere on the top was emitting a strange glow. I blinked a few times and then leaned closer to it. "What could it mean?"

She swung the staff from my face and held it with both hands as she bit her bottom lip, pondering. She set the staff upwards and lifted her chanin. She moved her arms to the right. The sphere ceased glowing. Then she shifted to the left and the sphere started again. "Like I thought so, it's some kind of detecting device!"

"So like when Imduk is sniffing for stuff to est?" I asked picking my nose.

"Uh, we can go with that." She cocked an eyebrow at my weird comparison. "However, I'm not thinking about food, but the World Cha-"

"This is dangerous." Ningirsu interrupted.

We turned as soon as Ningirsu.

Ib sighed and dropped her staff to her side, furrowing her brows. "Yes?"

I also sighed, scratching the back of my head. For some reason, he had been quick to fall into temper with anything involving Ib. While his face did not express it, his choice of words did dhow his bitterness and stung deeply, although not at the moment he uttered them, it was more like a poison which slowly took effect the more one realized the meaning before falling completely dead. Growing up with them, I often saw them bicker, like other siblings do, and would reconcile at the end of the day, but lately their arguments have become much more personal and that concerned me. As a result, Ib has had to defy his authority in order to defend herself.

"What is it now, brother?" She said, straightening her back to face Ningirsu. "What objection do you have now?"

However, before Ningirsu could properly respond, In shifted sideways, looked at the staff once, snatched my hand and began to drag me in the direction the staff was guiding her to as Ningirsu stood stunned at the unexpected spectacle. I was just as awed as he. Ii never knew Ib was this strong!

Imduk ran to us and caught up. I avoided eye contact with Ningirsu, yet I felt that him shoot me cold glare on that stony face since my body shivered. it scared me.

"This way!" A moment's while had passed when Ib finally detected something since the sphere's brightness gradually grew brighter with each step we took. Ib made a turn as I moved a little bit up ahead, swinging my sword again to cut down more leaves. Ningirsu silently strided behind, his hands squeezing his spear.

However, he stopped.

"This is dangerous." He uttered softly the same words from before. Ib slowly came to a halt and so did I and crossed my arms. Ib quietly sighed, shutting her eyes and gripping her staff. I sensed the tension rising once more. "We cannot move on-"

"I know!" She blurted, turning on Ningirsu. Her face red and her brows furrowed. "What difference does it make if we're surrounded by danger all the time!"

"I'll tell you the difference! We know what the danger is, not this!" Ningirsu snapped back, towering her as she tucked her head into her shoulders. "You and Auram foolishly accept something without considering the consequences."

"H-Hey!" I was caught-off guard at the mention of my name. This was the first time I was directly referred into their discussion. I usually stood in the sidelines, watched them fight and only intervening from time to time when things got way out of hand. Now their claims were no longer based on their constantly clashing beliefs, but on actions alone and decided to do something before it became ugly. " Um, I don't mean to interrupt, but can we not? I wouldn't like to drive any attention toward us-"

"You hush it, Auram." Ningirsu shot a nasty look at me and threw an accusing finger as I backed away with my hands waving on my face defensively. Imduk began to whimper.

"Dude, chill! It isn't like you to be mad all of a sudden, especially like this." I said,slightly irritated with his odd behavior, swinging a hand to my side and forming the other into a fist

"How can he not be? He's always looking for something to argue about." Ib exclaimed as she picked up Imduk and cradled him. I realized my mistake then.

"That's very bold of you to say, Ib. You- No, Both of you have proven nothing yet." Ningrisu tighten hfst, visibly trembling. "Is this some kind of game to you?"

"Game?!" ib and I repeated unceremoniously. We were offended. I felt as if an important part of me had been rendered into meaningless junk, like what we've been doing to the Mekkstronsities all along, removing the pieces which makes them function.

"Only a cold-hearted person would think so cruelly!" Ib cried.

Ningirsu flinched. A split second later, he crawled his fingers through his hair and shook his head. A smile formed on his burdened face. "Is that what you think of me?"

"Yes." She said, taking a step back as she stomped a foot forward. I heard the faint sound of a rock roll back where she stood and my attention shifted from the commotion to there, and noticed she was dangerously close by a cliff, a detail I had forgotten about and feared for her safety.

"Guys." I said.

They didn't seem to hear me between insults.

"Then why was I dragged here? I am not your babysitter or Auram's, Ib." Ningirsu cringed at his words. " _I am your brother_."

"Babysitter?! Isn't it a brother's job to protect his little sister!" Ib snarked.

"Guys!" I said again, only louder.

"What?!" They both turned to me.

"Stop it!"

"Are you going to swoop in and save the day?" Ningirsu's sarcastic remark bothered me, but I repressed my feelings of bitterness and shook my head as I looked at Ib with a worried glance.

"Ib, be careful."

"Why?" She asked me, confused.

I pointed behind her.

She slowly turned her head over her shoulder and gasped.

"The earth is unstable, any wrong movement and you'll fall." I warned. Then I began to nstruct her, "move forward slowly."

Ib's face became pale and she quietly gulped, hugging her staff as she shuffled cautiously to a safer spot.

Ningirsu came to her aid, reluctantly extending his hand for her to grab. Ib paused and stared at him hard, looked down at his hand and then back at him. "I refuse."

He gritted his teeth and retreated his hand to his side again as I approached her instead with the same gesture. She reached for my hand, however, before she could do so, the ground crumbled and her foot slipped, causing her to lose her balance and fall back.

"Ib!" I rushed to snatch her hand, but I missed. I stopped at the edge, leaned over slightly, and to my surprise, I saw Ib clinging to a small ledge just barely. Imduk yipped for Ib.

"H-Help me!" She stuttered, steadying her grasp on the ledge as much as she could, but her fingers seemed to want to slip.

"Ib, whatever you do, don't look down. We'll get you up as fast as we can." I tried to comfort her as I lowered myself. Ningirsu stood by, watching hesitantly. I extended my hand. "Quickly, grab my han!"

Ib slowly nodded, carefully removing a hand from the ledge to hold mine, yet her other hand on became loose and slipped. I swiftly went for her hand but I only managed to touch her fingers for her delicate body was already rolling down the slope until she reached the end. Imduk flung himself to her rescue.

"Ib!" Ningirsu cried out to her.

We searched for her and found her lying at the bottom.

From our distance, we saw Ib struggling to get up from her harsh landing, using her staff as a cane. However, when she stood up she waved at us, but became briefly still, then, in a slow-motion turn, she shifted to a different direction. The familiar feeling of fear emerged from my depths as we quickly slid down the slope to make sure she wasn't injured with scratches or more frighteningly, a broken bone. "Ib, are you okay?!" I called out to her, but she ignored me, her attention remaining focused elsewhere. I became worried she had perhaps caught sight of a prying Krawler. I unleashed my blade. "Ib!"

When we finally reached her and darted to her side, I examined the area but did not detected any movement.

"Look at that!" Ib spoke and puzzled, I turned to her. She rose her hand from her side and pointed in the direction she was facing. Suddenly her face beamed with glee. "Could it be?!"

"Be what?" I asked.

"That!" she said, so I faced where she was pointing to.

As I did so, I felt my throat close and my muscles lower my weapon for what I was currently beholding had rendered me speechless at the wondrous sight

"What on earth. . .." Ningirsu, too, was awed as we.

In front of us, stood a large forest of tall hollow trees with long branches extending to the darkened sky, like wailing arms, in the cold wind blowing by. Covered entirely in thick white fog, the eerie atmosphere engulfed the area into deadly silence that even our whispers ceased to sound. The ground cracked and the soil was hardened like rock. The absence of any greenery implied that it had not rained in a very long time, which also meant life did not dwell here.. Dry leaves crunched loudly beneath our feet. However, above the treetops, a strange object emitting a blue light similarly to Ib's staff was found.

Ib turned excitedly. "That must be the World Chalice!"

"Ib, your staff, it stopped glowing!" I said, pointing to it.

"Huh?" She glanced at her staff and smiled. "You're right, Auram. I was too excited to notice!"

Without thinking, Ib immediately headed toward the forest's entrance. I noticed her eyes sparked with a sudden enthusiasm which I could resonate with, fueling my own. She stopped and motioned us hurriedly. "What are we waiting for, guys? Let's get going!"_

Before I could respond, Ningirsu stepped forward between us to face Ib, which she took as a bad sigh for her lips slowly became a frown. "What is it now, brother?"

He was quiet and blinked once as he gazed at.. But briefly since he then slowly nodded. "Okay."

Ib sighed, relieved that trouble could be avoided this time and turned again as she ran ahead.

"Wait, Ib!" I said as Ningirsu and I rushed after her.

We had entered.

Anywhere I looked, darkness shrouded my vision. Our only source of light was the dim lightning guiding our path, but even that wasn't enough to make out a single detail. I don't remember how much time had passed either, but I could tell it had been a pretty long while since the blue glow still seemed to be distant from us.

"How far is it? We've been walking for who-knows-how-long!" I exclaimed as my voice echoed. I felt slightly mocked. Probably because I was growing impatient to get there.

"Oh, Auram, we're getting there! We'll arrive in before you know it!" Ib assured.

"You spoke too soon." Ningirsu said. He was farther ahead than us. Ib and I saw what he meant and gave each other a momentary glance before bolting like lightning to catch up with him.

Suddenly the dimness began to grow brighter and became a fiery flare which temporarily blinded us all. I winced and rubbed my eyes a couple of times and blinked several more times. Once I recovered my eyesight, I was able to fully open my eyes, and when I did, they became wide and my jaw fell. I was bewildered at the amazement presented to me. "I-Is it. . .!"

"I believe so! Look at how beautiful it is!" Ib clasped her hands to her chest. Imduk barked happily. "We finally found it, one fo the World Legaciess!"

Standing in the middle of nowhere, stood a World Legacy more massive than I thought it would ever be. It was blue and had a similar design to the top Ib's staff. However, unlike her staff, it had no jagged end but a rotational device hanging from above in the center instead. Not only that, it seemed to be lacking something. I pondered.

"Lee! Lee! We found it!" Ib began to shout.

"Ib, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Calling out Lee's name, of course! What else could I be doing?" She explained.

"O-oh, yeah!" I had forgotten about that minor detail somehow. Regardless, as soon as her name was mentioned, Lee had emerged from behind the World Legacy and flew toward us. Then she came to a halt.

"Great job, heroes! This is your first accomplishment thus far." Lee declared cheerfully, applauding.

"Thanks, but we haven't done anything big yet." I said meekly.

"Hm, that's true, but you are at least one to me!" She assured with a friendly smile. "I believe this deserves a reward!"

Ningirsu cocked a brow and frowned, placing a hand on his hip. "How about explaining what that thing is, like you promised."

Lee exchanged an annoyed look herself and crossed her arms. "That's what I'm getting at!" She squeaked.

"Ahem! Like I was saying, you will all be rewarded, but first I will explain what this artifact is. As I mentioned earlier, this is the World Chalice- World Legacy, an ancient tool built by your people very long ago, but became buried in history and was virtually forgotten until its recent discovery." She said as she flew around the World Legacy to show us the former glory of our tribe. "However, thanks to me, I've kept it hidden here, waiting for the day someone worthy as you to come."

"Why keep what is rightfully ours here. though?" Ningirsu inquired, unimpressed with her words. "What's so important about it?"

"You're absolutely right, but think it about it this way. I am its guardian, hence why I'm called 'The World Chalice Fairy'." She stated. "But to properly answer your question, the World Legacy possesses the ability to grant power to anyone. Because of this, I deem it safer its existence a secret."

"What kind of power, may I ask?" He further questioned.

At this point, it was clear that Lee was becoming irritated with Ningirsu's questions, yet she kept her rage in check.

"You will see once I present it to you!" She smiled. "Ib, come forward please."

Ib silently obeyed her order and stepped forth.

"Lift your staff toward the World Legacy." She instructed as Ib did so. Upon doing so, the sphere on the staff glowed once more, unlike the previous time, though, the peculiar object inside the World Legacy illuminated suddenly, and started to rotate until it spun rapidly, which caused the rest of the artifact to also light up. "Now do me the honor to touch it."

"Is it safe?" Ib asked with concern.

"Don't be scared. As a matter of fact, you'll be stunned with the results." She guaranteed with another smile. Ib turned from her to the machine and gulped. She cautiously walked towards it and lifted her hand, slowly reaching for the light as she shut her eyes tightly. Then, a flash of light happened. The three of us stood there with anticipation as Lee grinned confidently.

As the light cleared, I held my breath at the new scene in front of me. Ib had changed! No longer did she wore drags, but a new outfit fit for a heroine ready to take action. Not only had she changed physically, I sensed a new strength of power within her she never had before. Was this then power Lee spoke of?

"Tada!" Lee cheered.

Ib blinked at her new gear, shifting from one side to another to give herself a better look at what she was wearing. She looked over to Lee curiously. "What is this?"

"This is the power of the World Legacy! You are now an improved version of yourself! Plus, you're powers have enhanced greatly, too. C'mon, test them! Lee suggested. Ib started to focus to channel her spiritual energy into a barrier, and when she did, a large translucent field surrounded us.

"Wow!" She gasped.

"My tub!" I exclaimed as I rushed to touch the World Legacy, too. After me, came Imduk, and finally Ningirsu, although he was reluctant at first to do so.

Our results were incredible hair as Ib's. My armor made feel like a true hero already, in addition to my newly acquired strength and speed, as well as the enhancement of my sword and shield. Ningirsu didn't look too bad himself, we shared the same abilities and his speared was more intimidating than before. Yet, the one who changed the most from all of us was Imduk since he was no longer a pup but a fully grown dragon. At the moment, he was currently adjusting himself to be able to fly properly.

Lee came forward with al giggle. "My! You all seem to be enjoying your newly found powers!"

"Yeah!" I agreed.

"Well, that's great and all but this is only the beginning, remember?"

I slowly nodded.

"Allow me to explain, while the World Chalice- World Legacy, it is not _**the**_ World Chalice but one of many scattered throughout the world." She said.

"What does that mean?" I asked, not sure where this conversation was heading.

"What I'm trying to say is that you must go and retrieve them."

"Why?"

"If you don't, someone else might find them and use their power for something malicious, such as destroying the world." She further explained.

"How do you know this?" Ningirsu intervened.

"I know because I've been keeping track of them!" She said. "I would go and stop them myself, however, due to my small size and limited power in this form, I cannot!"

"That's why you sought us! To help you stop them!" Ib furrowed her brows and shook her head, forming a fist. "We won't let them succeed!"

For someone who was soft-spoken, Ib sure took the words right out of me.

"What, Ib said!" I added, unamusingly. "But where do we start?"

"Our first location is right beyond the Celestial Forest." Lee informed.

"Celestial Forest is too big! It'll take us day before we get out of here " I complained. That's when Lee gave me a smirk.

"Don't you worry, Auram, I got it all under control." She flew back to the World Legacy and waved her hands across, and as she did this, the light began to split apart as an opening was formed. "Not only does the World Legacy grant powers, it can also form portals to travel quickly to other places that would normally take days to journey through."

Wow, the more I knew about the World Chalices, the more I became indulge to find out their true purposes.

"Now I must ask you all, are you ready to join me on this quest?" Lee approached the portal and faced us curiously, waiting for a response.

"Yes!" I announced as Ib nodded her headed and Imduk wagged his tail and hanged his tounge enthusiastically. Ningirsu had yet to respond.

"Fine, but just know if anything goes wrong, you'll be the one to blame." That was his final declaration as he sided with us. Ib was visibly concerned with his words but drove those thoughts away for the moment.

"Alright, now that everything's set, we are ready to go! Prepare yourselves, young heroes, for now you'll be facing a greater threat than you have ever known as Ib the World Chalice Priestess, Auram the World Chalice Blafemaster, Ningirsu the World Chalice Warrior, and finally, Imduk the World Chalice Guardragon! Onward!" Lee announced at long last what we were to be.


End file.
